At home with Cotty Lowry

New York may have the Donald, but Minneapolis has Cotty, its own real estate wheeler-dealer who's well-known enough to be identified by first name only. His website? Cotty.com, of course.

A real-estate agent for almost 30 years for Burnet, Coldwell Banker and now Keller Williams, super agent man averages about $15 million per year in sales ($21 million was his biggest year; last year was less than $10 million). We managed to get the south Minneapolis resident to put down his cell phone long enough to answer a few questions about his own home sweet home.

Q As a veteran Realtor, are you a vagabond yourself, always finding a property you like better and trading up?

A Since 1980 I've lived in five places. Three of those were investment property duplexes that I lived in one half and rented the other; the last two have been single-family homes.

Q Do Realtors move more often than the average family?

A No, we don't, but maybe we should be made to so we understand how stressful it is for our clients. People act irrationally when they're moving, even when it's not due to tragic circumstances.

Q You know how important a stager can be in a tight market. Would you consider using a stager yourself if you were selling?

Q You mentioned several things about your house that you would change, including the seating area in the living room. Will you leave that to a stager if you sell?

A You really need to get professional interior design help early on so that you can benefit while you live there rather than fixing it up at the last moment to sell it. Many clients say "maybe we should just stay here" after they see what a stager has done to the house they're selling. Yes, we'd consider it.

Q Why is the kitchen your favorite room in the house?

A It's warm, open and inviting. We took out a wall and added recessed lights, but all the flooring and cabinetry are original. The new blends well with the old. I have a problem with people changing the cabinetry in older homes. Change it now and it will be out of style in 10 to 15 years.

Q Favorite furnishings in the house?

Q You were an art minor in college, and you have quite an appreciation for a wide variety of artistic styles in your home. Does that explain tolerance for the graffiti embellishments on your billboard at Hennepin and Franklin Avenues?

A It's taken on a life of its own in the last 14 years. It's gone from ordinary tagging to an interactive piece of art. My favorite was the artist who glued red cardboard horns on my head and put a trident in my hand with the caption "I'm just trying to sell real estate."

Q You live on a bluff overlooking Lake Harriet. Do you know how many Minneapolis residents would kill for your views?

A Yes, we're very lucky. The sunrises and sunsets over the lake, the sounds of the sailboats' rigging, the waves slapping and the clang and color of the trolley are only found on this one spot on Earth.

Q Despite that, do I sense that you feel something is missing here?

Q Looking around, it appears that you have a thing for birch bark and North Shore stones.

A It's a serious addiction for us. Laurie collects it and makes it. There is a bust made of birch bark, but also birch logs and stones made of wool that look amazingly real. Our favorite is the birch bassinet made for us when our son was born.

Q You probably don't get much of a chance to kick back on Sundays, being a Realtor.

A I have no sense for the days of the week. I have some down time, but I'm not much of a putterer. There are patches on the walls in this house that have been there since 2003. I could finish it myself, but I don't.